York Region students urged to visit ‘catch-up clinics’ for key immunizations

Thestar.com
June 1, 2022

The pandemic has posed another risk to public health, apart from COVID-19.

York Region students may now be susceptible to Hepatitis B, Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) and meningococcal disease.

That’s because the demands of the pandemic put routine immunizations on the back burner.

An estimated 60,000 students in the region have fallen behind on these vaccines normally given in schools starting in grade 7, said Martina Cuillerier, the region’s manager of vaccine-preventable diseases.

The region has organized special catch-up clinics and is urging eligible students to roll up their sleeves as soon as possible to get immunized against Hepatitis B, HPV and meningococcal ACYW-135.

“We have quite a bit of work ahead of us,” Cuillerier said.

"Because of the tremendous demand for COVID vaccinations, we had to pause some of our other services and this included our vaccination resources."

Family doctors and nurse practitioners also had to pivot resources elsewhere during the pandemic, she said.

As a result, many York Region residents, mainly students, were unable to get their publicly funded routine immunizations, making susceptible to vaccine-preventable diseases and potentially allowing these diseases to spread in the community, Cuillerier said.

The province expanded eligibility because of the delays, she said.

“Normally, hepatitis D would only be eligible, for example, for grades 7 to 8. And now in our clinics, those vaccines are eligible for grades 7 to 10. HPV continues to be available for grades 7 to 12 as well as for graduated female students … Meningococcal vaccine continues to be available for grades 7 to 12 as well as any student that has graduated since the pandemic but did not yet get vaccinated.”

The meningococcal vaccine is one dose and is required for school attendance in Ontario for students aged 12 and older.

Cuillerier said these vaccines are "no cost" -- free for eligible students.

The catch-up clinics will be held throughout the summer across the region, with day, evening and weekend appointments.

Students in grade 9 and over can be vaccinated in the absence of a parent’s consent. Those in grade 7 and 8 require parental consent, she said.

Regular in-school immunizations will recommence in the fall, but because another COVID-19 wave could be on the horizon for later fall and might require public health workforce to focus on any surges, she advises students take advantage of the clinics as soon as possible.

Babies as well as seniors might also be missing vaccinations, she added.

She recommends all residents view their immunization records, speak with their primary care provider, check their yellow vaccination cards if they have one, call Public Health or visit York.ca/immunizations to ensure their vaccinations are up to date.